Concord: San Francisco police officer arrested on sex abuse charges

CONCORD -- Police confirmed Thursday that a San Francisco police officer was arrested last week on suspicion of sexually molesting a Concord 15-year-old.

Richard H. Hastings III was arrested near his Concord home on Aug. 21, booked and released after he posted bond. On Thursday, police said they had presented their investigation to prosecutors and asked them to charge Hastings with lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old; sodomy with a child under age 16; and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Hastings could not be reached for comment Thursday. A spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department did not immediately return calls for comment, though Concord investigators said the department is aware of the arrest.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said that it reviewed the case against Hastings and sent it back to Concord police for further investigation on Thursday.

Police launched the investigation into the relationship between the juvenile and the 37-year-old Hastings on Aug. 8 but have not said what led them to begin looking into the relationship between the two.

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During the investigation, detectives established probable cause to arrest Hastings for committing several sex offenses in Concord against the juvenile, police said. Police obtained an arrest warrant, and Hastings was arrested without incident at 8:15 a.m. Aug. 21 on Monument Boulevard near Ramona Lane.

Police searched his home but did not disclose what was found.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Renee Williams at 925-603-5856. Anonymous tipsters can call the Concord police tip line at 925-603-5836.